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Sensational Student Science Simulations: Physical Prestidiations done in
HTML
Bonnie B. Thurber
Baker Demonstration School
National-Louis University
665 Brierhill Road
Deerfield, IL 60015-4405
USA
bthu@nlu.nl.edu
http://www.iceberg.org/~bthu
Vito M. Dipinto
National-Louis University
2840 Sheridan Road
Evanston, IL 60201
USA
vdip@nlu.nl.edu
The nature of science is both empirically and socially constructed. The former is daunting enough to teach and
learn for middle school students. The latter seems to be beyond the do-able at this level. However, we have
been engaged in a study over the past four years exploring how both of these aspects of science can be taught
and learned by middle school students. The key element is the use of technology, specifically authoring in
HyperCard or hypertext markup language (HTML).
Under the title Sensational Student Science Simulations we have had eighth grade students at the Baker
Demonstration School of National-Louis University designing, implementing, and publishing chemistry and
physics experiments. Students choose an interesting question or topic in chemistry or physics to investigate.
The socially constructed scientific knowledge is acquired by preparing a multimedia document either in
HyperCard or HTML. The students provide a simulation of the actual investigation, include all the appropriate
background scientific information, and introduce the essential scientific process and concept that this
investigation demonstrates. The critical element in the learning is the sense of audience: a group of 4/5th
graders at the Demonstration School and users of the Internet. In the community of scientists, the audience is
those involved in similar areas of research. In the community of middle school students, the audience is other
students in the school and people on the internet. This project helps instill in the students a sense of the
possibilities inherent in science and technology and helps to develop the skills and interest in learning they will
need to continue through life as seekers of knowledge.
This process, by including both the empirical and the social aspects of the physical sciences as part of the
teaching/learning experience, provides the students with the opportunity to recreate scientific studies as well as
to act as teachers in turn. This combination encourages both exploration for the sake of knowledge and the
sharing of that knowledge with others. It simulates the research/publication/research cycle followed by
practitioners. The inclusion of the HTML and Internet pieces in the project expand that experience by allowing
the students to take their learning to the world and to serve as instructors or guides to a larger audience. This
project helps instill in the students a sense of the possibilities inherent in science and technology and helps to
develop the skills and interest in learning they will need to continue through life as seekers of knowledge.